Lambs make another point

FT: Stockport County 11 Tamworth

14 November 2015

Andy Morrell made two changes to the starting eleven for the away trip to Edgeley Park with Danny Racchi and Dan Newton both carrying knocks. So Lee Fowler made his debut and Ross Dyer took the remaining place on the teamsheet.

After minutes silence and with the light rain pouring down Tamworth got the match underway and a long ball from Tomassen forced keeper Hurst to head the ball away from danger inside the first minute.A foul on Durrell in the 3rd minute allowed Fowler to pay a short ball to Tomassen but his floated dink into the box was cleared.Cham’s ball to the far post was chested behind by Durrell on 7 for a County corner and Burns headed clear to Fowler but the home side regained possession and attacked again resulting in a good cross for Cham but he couldn’t get direction on his header and Tamworth were able to take the pressure off.Stockport looked dangerous on the break again on 12 with Montrose making headway into the box but his path was blocked by Burns.The Lambs passing play out of defence was getting them upfield but not into the final third, and when Mettam tried to go past Roberts on 15 a push brought him down and a freekick for Durrell on the right.A long range shot from Baggie on the right wing was fairly easy for Belshaw to gather on 17, and on 19 when Durrell tangled with Roberts the Lambs midfielder strayed too close and received a telling off for his efforts.Durrell then made his presence felt at the other end with a right footed volley that rattled the left hand upright but it rebounded so quickly that Dyer was only able to get an off target snap shot away.County enjoyed another spell of pressure around the half hour mark but found a determined Lambs defence in their way.Fowler was penalised for a trip on Kirby on 30 and the deadball struck the wall and was cleared.A right wing cross from Baggie found the head of Cham on 32 but he was unable to keep it down and Belshaw’s goal was not threatened. Belshaw smothered a Roberts left wing cross on 33 and at the other end Mettam completely missed his kick at the far post from Durrell’s cross.A 36th minute freekick from Garvin from 30 yards was taken at chest height by Belshaw but there was nothing he could do about Kriby’s right footed strike from 25 yards on 37 that flew into the top left corner. (0-1, 37 mins)As a mark of respect, in the 40th minute, the whole ground applauded the memory of Lambs fan Ryan Wynn who passed away during the week.Despite the best intentions of Clarke’s header on 44 he was unable to test Hurst and one minute added time was shown at the end of the half.

HT: Stockport County 10 Tamworth

County restarted proceedings and on 46 Connolloy pulled down Mettam as he tried to break through the back line 35 yards out. He was booked for his efforts and Durrell’s freekick went back to Hurst.Belshaw denied O’Hanlon’s low drive with his feet as County forced a number of corners in quick succession, interspersed by a break when the referee booked Tomassen and Odejayi.Another corner came on 53 but there was a push in the play and The Lambs had some respite before making two changes. Durrell netted his eighth of the season on 62 with a low deflected shot into the near corner (1-1, 62 mins)Tomassen denied Garvin’s low shot from 12 yards with a well timed sliding tackle on 64 but Strong was booked for his tackle on Garvin on 65.Montrose tried a long range shot following a Lambs clearance on 69 but only found row Z and Belshaw denied Cham’s header with a fine reactionary low stop at his feet on 73.Kirby span the ball past Belshaw from the left of the box and across the face of goal and out of play on 75 as Tamworth continued to have to work hard at the back when County picked up the play.Preston took a knock and had to leave the field around the 80 minute mark. On 85 The Lambs received another let off when the ball was whipped across the six yard box and missed by everyone sliding in.As the time ticked down, tempers started to rise to the surface and Preston was booked in the centre circle. Durrell struck a curler from the left channel and forced Hurst into a save on 88, but the corner was pulled up for a foul.He then saw a shot deflected for another flag kick but struck it too hard and Preston was unable to get high enough to get a head on it at the far post.Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the game and both sides went all out for the winner and with Colley’s shot into the side netting the game ended.